The initiation of replication is the central event in the bacterial cell cycle. Cells control the
rate of DNA synthesis by modulating the frequency with which new chains are initiated, like …

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses recent discoveries in this field, with special
emphasis on molecular systems operating to sense the current status of the host physiology …

Plasmids, DNA (or rarely RNA) molecules which replicate in cells autonomously
(independently of chromosomes) as non-essential genetic elements, play important roles for …

To ensure faithful transmission of genetic material to progeny cells, DNA replication is tightly
regulated, mainly at the initiation step. Escherichia coli cells regulate the frequency of …

Abstract Background: Genes encoding Shiga toxins in pathogenic Escherichia coli strains
(Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, STEC) are located on lambdoid prophages. However, studies …

Shiga toxin-converting bacteriophages (or Stx phages) are responsible for virulence of
enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli strains. Although they belong to the group of lambdoid …

Apart from its function as an initiator of DNA replication, the Escherichia coli DnaA protein is
also a specific transcription factor. It activates and represses a number of promoters …

Background DnaA is an essential protein in the regulation and initiation of DNA replication
in many bacteria. It forms a protein-DNA complex at oriC to which DnaC loads DnaB. DNA …

The cgtA gene codes for a common GTP-binding protein whose homologues were found in
all prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms investigated so far. Although cgtA is an essential …

DnaA and SeqA proteins are main regulators (positive and negative, respectively) of the
chromosome replication in Escherichia coli. Nevertheless, both these replication regulators …